Now Rent or Buy Digital Textbooks For Class Through Google Play

The new school year is right around the corner, and that usually means your brain is getting ready to take a beating—as well as your wallet.

Textbooks for classes can go for absurd prices (even if you can fit the book in your pocket, it can still easily go for $65). Schools usually try to sell back used books for "lower" prices, and if you're not there on the first day of class to pick one up: good luck. Now, Google has dipped its hand in the textbook battle, and starting this week, students will be able to buy or rent digital textbooks through Google Play's Books section. That's right, your physics book can now be read on your phone. There is also an awesome option to leave notes and highlight text straight from the Google Play Books app.

There's a huge selection of books you can check out on the Google Play site, so if you know what you need for classes this upcoming year, head over there to check out if they have what you need. Some books are still pretty expensive to buy, but, if you want to rent, Google says you can save up to 80 percent in comparison.

Android users can download the Google Play Books app here, and iOS users can download it here.